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If you're a small-business owner who hasn't already set up a page on location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare, it's time to get in the game, MP Mueller writes. To make the most of the platforms, check your social media sites to see which products and services people are interested in and regularly update your offerings, Mueller suggests.

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Location-based social services such as Booyah, Gowalla, Scvngr and Loopt are overhauling their business models in a bid to win investors. Booyah is focusing on social gaming, Gowalla has repositioned to focus on travel, Scvngr looks to incorporate loyalty programs and Loopt is aiming to break into the daily-deals market. "We've made some tough calls to get back on track," says Booyah CEO Jason Willig.

If you're a small-business owner who hasn't set up a page on location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare, it's time to get in the game, MP Mueller writes. To make the most of the platforms, check your social media sites to see which products and services people are interested in and regularly update your offerings, Mueller suggests.

Four percent of mobile-device owners use geo-social services such as Foursquare and Gowalla, but a far greater segment uses location-based shopping tools such as mobile coupons, store finders and review services. That finding, from a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, suggests that social marketers may do better to focus their energy on location-based tools that tie into users' shopping habits, rather than on platforms that only encourage social check-ins.

Gowalla founder Josh Williams is promoting his location-based service as a more democratic alternative to Foursquare. While Foursquare's mayor deals are only accessible to one person at a time, Williams says, Gowalla is focusing on promotions that let everyone participate and claim a piece of the pie.

Twitter has dominated SXSW for the past few years, but at this year's festival, attendees were more impressed by location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare than by the microblogging site. These location-based services' rise to dominance may be due to their passivity, writes Daniel Terdiman. With Twitter you need to have something to say, but with Foursquare you only have to push a button to share your activities with your friends, he notes.